When God Feels Far Awayமாதிரி

Day Five: Celebrating the Victories

People are no strangers to celebration. On a personal level, we celebrate births, marriages, anniversaries, and more. On a national level, we have established holidays. What most of us might not realize is that for the Western half of the world, these habits and practices are rooted in patterns seen in the Old Testament. 

Remembering and reflecting have long been effective ways to navigate times of divine distance. The history of the people of God as recorded in the Old Testament shows that whenever God did something unique or powerful in the life of an individual or the community, they would mark the occasion of what God had done and pass its importance to the next generation. 

Through periods of intense persecution, spiritual dryness, and difficult circumstances, the Jewish people have been able to remember and reflect on the amazing movement of God in their history, which has given them strength to endure. Remembering helped to bridge the gap between the times of spiritual anemia they experienced and the life-giving sense of God’s presence, which enabled them to persevere.

Celebration works this way. It becomes a key pathway for navigating divine distance. It’s fitting therefore that the story of Esther concludes with a celebration. This teaches us an important principle: whenever God moves uniquely and powerfully in our lives, it is worth celebrating.

In the full light of God’s rescue and deliverance, Esther and Mordecai determine that it is the right time to pause, reflect, remember, and celebrate. They institute a new tradition that will forever remind future generations about God’s unique and powerful victory. They give the celebration a name highlighting a unique detail of how God delivered His people from Haman’s diabolical plan. Haman had cast lots to choose a day as Kill-All-the-Jews Day. The Jewish people, therefore, decide to call their new celebration Purim after the Babylonian custom of using homemade dice (purim) for decision-making: “Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur” (Esther 9:26).

We could use more celebration when God moves in our midst. Celebrating serves as a marker that we can look to time and again when our spiritual light grows dim. We can join and add to this rejoicing as we likewise celebrate the amazing movements of God on earth. And we will feel closer to God when we do.

What certain events or milestones in your faith journey are important for you to remember and celebrate? Why? What’s at risk if these remembrances are abandoned?